Repeated firing of a gun, and in particular modern rapid-firing sport rifles, can result in excessive heating of the gun's barrel. Each fired cartridge can result in a discharge of thermal energy reaching approximately 5000° Fahrenheit. While some of this thermal energy is released outward from the end of the barrel, a significant amount of heat is transferred to the barrel. Excessive barrel temperature can be associated with a loss of firing accuracy, increased barrel erosion, and degradation of internal rifling. Excessive heating over a prolonged period of time can result in warping as well as a catastrophic barrel failure. This level of excessive heating may require replacement of the barrel, which can be expensive and inconvenient for most individuals.
Excessive gun barrel heating may also raise concerns with respect to personal safety. For example, firing multiple rounds from a gun can result in an external temperature capable of severe burns to a user. As demonstrated below, for a standard M16-A1 rifle, a relative of the modern AR-15, a firing rate of 20 rounds every 5 seconds for a period of 35 seconds can result in an external barrel temperature of approximately 800° Fahrenheit. Even at a rate of 1 round every 5 seconds for a period of 140 seconds can result on an average barrel temperature of 600° Fahrenheit.
For an average adult, contacting a surface of only 151° Fahrenheit can result in a first degree burn, while contact of the same surface for 2 seconds could result in second and/or third degree burns.
Excessive gun barrel heating may also raise concerns with respect to gun storage. As noted above, a gun barrel can rapidly reach temperatures that can melt many common fabrics and other materials used in gun storage bags/containers. For example, as shown below, even inadvertent contact with a heated gun barrel can destroy most common fabric and materials.
Nylon 6 melting point 374-663° F. PVC Material Melting point 212-500° F. Polyester Fabrics Melting point approximately 482° F. Cotton decomposes 300 °F.
Traditionally, gun users would simply wait a period of time until they believed the gun barrel was sufficiently cool to touch and/or store. In these cases, gun users would often be forced to risk serious burns by touching the gun barrel to confirm its temperature.
The foregoing problems regarding excessive gun barrel heating may represent a long-felt need for an effective solution to the same. While implementing elements may have been available, actual attempts to meet this need may have been lacking to some degree. This may have been due to a failure of those having ordinary skill in the art to fully appreciate or understand the nature of the problems and challenges involved. As a result of this lack of understanding, attempts to meet these long-felt needs may have failed to effectively solve one or more of the problems or challenges here identified. These attempts may even have led away from the technical directions taken by the present inventive technology, and may even result in the achievements of the present inventive technology being considered to some degree, an unexpected result of the approach taken by some in the field.